by Ayo Dada
OUR DECISION IS IRREVERSIBLE AND WILL BE ENFORCED – Aketi
I have just read the press statement credited to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Shehu Malami SAN on the resolution of the Southern Governors Forum to ban open grazing in their respective States. The AGF is quoted to have said that this reasoned decision, among others, is akin to banning all spare parts dealers in the Northern parts of the country and is unconstitutional.
It is most unfortunate that the AGF is unable to distill issues as expected of a Senior Advocate. Nothing can be more disconcerting. This outburst should, ordinarily, not elicit response from reasonable people who know the distinction between a legitimate business that is not in anyway injurious and a certain predilection for anarchy. Clinging to an anachronistic model of animal husbandry, which is evidently injurious to harmonious relationship between the herders and the farmers as well as the local populace, is wicked and arrogant.
Comparing this anachronism, which has led to loss of lives, farmlands and property, and engendered untold hardship on the host communities, with buying and selling of auto parts is not only strange. It, annoyingly, betrays a terrible mindset.
Mr Malami is advised to approach the court to challenge the legality of the Laws of the respective States baning open grazing and decision of the Southern Governor Forum taken in the interest of their people. We shall be most willing to meet him in Court.
The decision to ban open grazing stays. It will be enforced with vigour.
SIGNED
ARAKUNRIN OLUWAROTIMI O AKEREDOLU, SAN
GOVERNOR, ONDO STATE
EDITOR’S COMMENTS: The functions of the Attorney General; The Attorney General represents the Country in legal proceedings. The Attorney General is legal adviser to each Government Department and certain public bodies. The Attorney General is the representative of the public in all legal proceedings for the enforcement of law and the assertion or protection of public rights.
With the above in mind, can any objective Nigerian consider Malami as Nigeria’s AG or FulanI AG considering his statement on the ban on grazing by the southern governors? The answer is NO!
Malami said, “It’s about constitutionality. Within the context of the freedoms enshrined in our constitution, can you deny a right of a Nigerian?
“For example, it’s as good as saying the northern governors coming together to say they forbid spare parts trading in the north. Does it hold water?”
How in the world did the AGF become a SAN?
Comparing (equating) spare parts trading with ban on open grazing is like equating an armed robber slashing his victim with razor and a surgeon cutting a patient open to perform surgery.
Whereas tne former is illegal, the latter is not. There are laws on the book which prohibits trespass, and inherent in open grazing is trespass.
In the foolish insane mind of the AGF, just because of freedom of movement, I can just go and park my car in his compound.
In a sane society, other SANs would move that he be ‘deSANitized’.
The AGF’s comment is not only irresponsible but also a demonstration of his incompetence, and to a large extent further proof that, indeed, quota system needs a reexamination in our society.
Shame on him – ADEWALE ADELEKE
An honest error of judgment can be forgiven, so can intellectual inadequacy be excused or tolerated and, to a large extent, so is innocent shortsightedness – yes, I will sometime go even that far!
What I struggle to condone or ignore, however, is the cancer of a biased mind for which there’s no prosthesis!
A not-so-smart judge may make error of judgment on many occassions but even then the crooked miscarriage of justice that may ensue through such innocent act of incompetence can be straightened out on appeal by a smart panel of justices.
However, a smart but corrupt judge is the worst imaginable cancer yet! This is because he would have employed her evil genius to undermine the case at the trial that when you take the carcass to the appeal court, well, you all know how that story will end!
This Attorney-General doesn’t come across as a neutral subject-matter expert to me. What a shame! – BUGATTI
With the caliber of people like Malami in positions of power in Nigeria, there is little wonder why Nigeria is in shambles, and on the precipice….
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